Echelon
by LOL1945
Summary: In her recent works in R6, Eliza "Ash" Cohen drifted towards uncertainty and potentially, going rogue. With the arrival of her former mentor, an operator from Fourth Echelon, CTU under POTUS mandate and its men, now taking the leadership in the team, will she be abled to regain back herself? Or drifted further to be a rogue operator? (Drama and deep tie in with polish sisters)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **As extra information, this story has small tie in with Splinter Cells. So enjoy :)**

 **(And for those of you followed up rainbow six games, you'll know this one will feel familiar and a copy but a good setting as prologue nonetheless)**

"This is Alpha 1-1, we are ready to proceed with plan Z over." Ash calling in.

"Roger, Plan Z is in motion. Good luck to all of you, over and out." the british man sanctioned the plan.

"This is Alpha 1-1, we have our go. Permission to intercept and kill all involved parties in the act is allowed. Do whatever it takes to neutralize the threat." Ash briefed the approved orders to the teams.

"Sounds good Eliza…. Sounds Good…." Thermite replied under the loud commotion.

"From now on, only use callsign. Glaz, keep an eye above the bridge for the incoming van. Jackal, lead the bravo squad to track the exact van used by the parties to mobilize their bomb. Lion, stay with Glaz and give everyone a heads up for enemy movement around the area if things going south. And Thermite, keep your ass on my six, we'll ran for the bomb. Once we land, we'll have 30 minutes to prep up before they made it to bridge. Any question?" Ash sent her planning and scheme to everyone.

"I love to be your six, you know how to bring me to the best view around." Thermite teased her while satirized their relationships in the team.

Everyone coughed a bit of laugh while keeping their minds in the mission while Ash kept her straight face with the tease.

"One more thing, I wanted everyone to be in their game. It will be a crowded spot in the rush hour and try not to shoot any unarmed parties. Everyone copy?"

"Copy Ash." Everyone replied together.

"45 seconds." said the pilot in the comm.

"You hear it boys! Ready up!" doors are opened and sunlight emerges.

"New York looks dandy today." Thermite praising the view.

"Won't be much left of it we failed this." Ash replied.

"We won't comrade." Glaz assures everyone as he reloaded his DMR.

"30 seconds." The pilot made his approach to the skybridge for a drop.

The other helicopter came into the view, bringing bravo team with it. Their team leader waved a hand and Ash replied with another wave. The rush hour commuters greeted by two Black Hawks closing up their skies.

"Damn there's a lot of people. Why the police didn't evacuate everyone?" Thermite assessed the situation.

"They can't. The mayor doesn't want any panic and evacuating the bridge will took half an hour. NYPD have routed the van to this bridge because this the least crowded bridge in the area." Ash dropped more intel to the team.

"Won't they get suspicious?" Jackal raised a concern.

"So far, they're going smoothly and normally. It's safe to say they don't suspect any attack." Ash replied.

"5 seconds." said the pilot.

Ropes went down and everyone grabbed for a slide down. Ten men, five in alpha and five in bravo, now set their foot on the skybridge while the black hawks flew away from the vicinity. Instead, a fake news chopper hovered around as surveillance for the mission for the mission control to see.

Lion flew his drone above while Glaz took a bravo scout for company and they scaled the bridge up to the vantage point. Ash briefed the bravo team leader for the situation and taking the squad under her lead as well. She mandated two men to assist Jackal for his needs while the other two joined her as a fireteam. Everyone stayed in a hidden spot and waited for the vans to come by.

The whole area kept under a strict surveillance by Jackal with his new flying drone, capable of tracking the intended parties needed to be taken out. Under the smokescreen of morning commuters, he had no issue wiping down the vans on the bridges from selections, in case if the van arrives too early. In his whisper, prayers allured the two men behind him as he looking for the vans. While their ears were foreign with the prayers, they believed in a safekeeping by anyone Above.

Glaz and Lion made it to the top of the bridge. 20 minutes of climbing did its job in putting them in fatigue. Nonetheless, combat readiness was high and a lot of rest would accompany them as they laid down in the sniper's nest.

"So, I heard you guys were like the special operators and stuff. So is this like a deadly op kind? Because I heard you guys only got called for missions which normal operators can't handle." the bravo riflemen started a conversation with his two seniors.

"I guess you could put it that way soldier. Is this your first mission?" Olivier followed up the chat while Glaz prep his Dragunov for an accurate range on his nest.

"Yes actually. I just entered the team a week ago from SWAT. LA SWAT actually although technically my transferred would put me in the FBI counterparts but I actually got there for some test run and they like me, so I stayed for three months and then there's an open up job for the rainbow six and I apply for a job. It's actually amazing that I got in the most skillful and secretive special forces in the world because like a year ago, I was just some patrolman in LA, fresh out from the academy and now here, with the best of the best in the world." The man filled Glaz and Lion with his life story while prepping up the nest for the mission.

"That's a long story comrade. I would say it will be better to tell us this after the mission. But from what I heard, you might have the talent to be the top in a very young age. What did you do before joining us? I mean the particular details of your job in SWAT." Glaz took a particular interest eventhough he's busy.

"Well, I'm actually in the same division as Jordan before he joined in first to rainbow. I got some ideas for like a new invention but I don't know, I'm still a bit green about this kind of stuff." the man joyfully answered.

"Interesting, can you tell us what the invention is?" Lion sat in front of him, also taken an interest with the man.

"Since I'm actually from caltech from joining in the police and SWAT, I actually once researched a 5.56 mm bullet which able to pierce steel barricade for special ops in a face pace operation. But I never got in done because no assault rifle can actually accommodate that kind of power and made it as a DMR actually crossed into my mind, but dunno, the campus is not exactly gun friendly in terms of research and I'm not that keen becoming a law enforcer at the time. So, I kinda shelved it in my college notes." The man replied.

"Interesting…. I believe I can help you and I know someone else which able to aid." Glaz greeted the man with an offer.

"That would be nice actually. Thanks." the man. replied.

"Excellent. What's your name comrade?"

"It's Nick. Nick Noonan."

"Nice to meet you Nick."

"Nice to meet you too."

Meanwhile, Ash and Thermite hid behind the steel panel railings, waiting for a confirmation from Jackal.

"So Ash, ma'am, how's the situation?" Thermite teased Ash a bit.

"Nothing so far… And just stop hitting on me. Come on….." Ash annoyed by the tease.

"Well, can I refuse such cold reply?" he grinned and stop teasing.

"Maybe you should leave let me alone with my life." Ash curtly reply.

"Hey come on…. I know that you know I gotta rarely tease people at mission. But come on, we need to have this talk." Thermite proceeded with his intent.

"Fine… out with it." Ash sighed.

"Friend to friend, we all know you need to get out from the compound. Look… that plan to hook you up with that guy? That's a mess. But I know this job is hard but… stay with us, with me. Don't let yourself drifted because of that." Thermite pointed his worries for her recent attitude.

"I wish you could say the same to that kid…." she abruptly shut him and started to peek at her watch.

30 minutes have passed and the van should have came to the bridge. Calling out to Jackal, she only received a negative.

"By the way, why we're doing this in a bridge, not in their compound?" Bravo leader asked Thermite.

"We wish….. FBI got tipped very late about this. Thank God we're in town when this go down, I guess white mask could wait for this thing." Thermite answered.

"Everyone be advised, I have visual confirmation of the van. It's a casual white van with a bald hispanic man in a suit driving it. I'm ready beside it over." Jackal briefed the team with his findings.

"Roger that Jackal. Everyone ready up! It's time." Ash prepared her fireteam to flank the enemy in front of it.

The scouts aimed their DMR at the van, waiting for a go from the lead.

"Glaz, your call." Ash final mandate before act.

"Roger." Finger on the trigger, hands in steady form, all aimed to a head to kill.

A loud shot greeted the commuters and shook everyone. The shot is an accurate one as the brain splat out from the hole. Lion and Nick followed in with other strafing shots to flush the terrorists out from the van.

Panicked engulfed the bridge as people scrambled out from their cars and ran for safety while others tried to driven out their vehicles but proved to be futile and resolved to stayed in cover inside while some scrambled, joining the panicking crowd. Accurate shots from the scouts relieved any casualties away the civilians and "saving" the area from civilians.

Jackal and his team saw the opened backdoor and fired upon the terrorist scrambling out from the van, but got caught by surprise by uncounted reinforcement in a SUV, few cars behind it. While Jackal and his team tried their best, they were pinned by the reinforcement.

Meanwhile, Ash and her fireteam prepared to drop to the streets and ready to engage through the front, but two policemen went out from their cars and started to aim their pistols at the running terrorists. However, one took a particular interest by Lion and realize an imminent danger.

"All station! Be advise! We got a suicide bomber on the run! A handcuffed guy running towards the police in the road below! I repeat, we have a dead man switch on the bridge! rigged and ready to blow!", Lion shouted the comms in fear for the escalating danger in the bridge.

"Roger, calling in for the bomb squad, Arriving ETA 5 minutes." Ash replied to the threat

Ash found the bomber amongst the crowd but much to her disdain, the bomber was about to be caught by the police.

"Glaz! I need you to take out the police NOW! He'll blow himself if arrested and civilians still crowded the bridge!" Ash surprised Glaz with the order.

"Ash, confirmation on friendly fire to the policeman of New York." Glaz reaffirmed the order from Ash.

"Just radio in to their comms." Lion also added a solution.

"We got not time! Take them out NOW!" Ash shouted the order back to Glaz.

"Roger, taking out the policeman." Glaz conceded to the order.

Glaz and Lion shot both policeman on their hands and legs to subdue them out.

Ash and her team proceeded to get to the bomber, but greeted hail of bullets from reinforcement behind the van, putting them in a pin in the skybridge like Jackal.

"Scout team, get down and help us take out the threat!" Ash ordered.

Glaz opted to stay for support fire while Lion and Nick will help the fireteam below. Changing with their vectors, they fast rappel down from above, all the way to the roads below. Surprising the terrorists, they pushed forward together against the surprises terrorist and took out many with the help of Glaz and the pinned fireteam. Ash and her team finally dropped down to the streets and joined in the battle.

More and more reinforcement came from behind and took fight into the streets. Much to everyone pressure, civilians which hid in the car became hostages while some begged for help to the team, compromising the mission and in few instances, becoming an involuntary shield for the team. With the a few civilian casualties, Lion started to pulled all the injured civilians from the hail and treated them with basic press-and-hold-the-wound to keep them alive before the medics arrived. The fireteam pushed the terrorists and Jackal finally able to pinned them in the vicinity of the van and made a push to assert control on the situation.

After two minutes of exchanging gunfire, all the terrorists were either dead or injured, leaving the bomber as last man standing. The team pinned the bomber in a corner, close the end to the sea. Ash ordered the man to stand down and put out the bomb.

"Please! They got my wife and kids! Help them!" The man shouted many times in cry and confusion.

"Okay okay, everyone stand down!", Believing the man, Ash ordered a stand down.

"Thermite, go." and he went to the bomb.

"Hey, everything will be okay." Ash reassured even though it didn't put the man's panicked expression away

As Thermite git his hands in the bomb, out of the blue, it went online. To make matters worst, they only have 30 seconds to decide.

Everyone was surprised and Thermite quickly studied the bomb for ten seconds before finally said, "I can't turn it off. I need three minutes for this one at least."

The man panicked even more and Lion asked, "What should we do? We don't have time and there's still many people around us."

In a tough and short call, she said, "We have to do it. We don't have time."

Two shots heard through her pistol and the man incapacitated, unable to stand after got hit in both legs. The rest of the team followed her lead and started to lift the man up to the ledge. As the time reach 5, they threw him from the ledge, watching him falling down to the sea before finally blew up midair. Had they didn't do such, the explosion will killed everyone in 30 meter radius.

Everyone stared down at the smokescreen below and all sighed, relieved from the threat, but not Ash. She closed her eyes and held her tears while swallowing her throat. In her view, she failed herself for the second time and this, had taken a bad toll inside her. Thermite saw this and felt her tearless cry.

"Hey, it's the best call there is. You did the right thing." he whispered while the rest of the team secured the scene.

"I failed and I just…... just leave me alone." Ash moved away and slipping away behind the smokes, giving a head to Thermite that she's now drifted from her former self.


	2. The Fifth Freedom

**The Fifth Freedom**

Ash, all standing straight and remorseful, waiting for Six to reviewed her mission yesterday. The call to return to Hereford was expected, considering the importance of its danger. She contemplated all the views she could bear where one involved her to safe the bomber. Hysterical begging led her to reminisced the mission before this. But the important part for all the world to see is… She was sad.

"Hey, you're okay?" Thermite whispered beside her.

"Jordan….. I'm all good." Truth conceded to her lies. Thermite nod with the answer, even though it's a blatant lie.

After closing the last page in the report from mission control, Six proceeded, "Eliza, you're doing what you can to save everyone on that bridge. Good job.". Much to her disdain, she nodded while keeping her face straight.

"Jordan, can I have a moment with Miss Cohen here?" Six proceeded.

"Sure thing." and Thermite left the room.

"Eliza, sit down." Six handed Ash the seat on her left.

Right after, Six shut the shutters down, leaving a few bright lights coming in and turning on a jammer as an extra precaution for any spy sets put in the room unknowingly.

"Eliza… if you have something to say, it's time. Off the record." Thermite wasn't the only one noticing Ash's troubled mood.

"Look, it's... just... that I'm not in the best mood for the week….. I'm okay…..." Ash defended her stance as Six pulled out another file from her desk.

"Eliza, since the mission in Panama, I've ordered Doc to kept a close eye on you and do a psychological check from away. From what I've seen in the report, you're not okay and Doc actually wanted to call a psychiatrist, his old friend from MSF, to find what's wrong and maybe, get something to relieve you from this. But, I said no, at least until you wanted to have anything to say to me directly. So Eliza, just tell me… How are you doing?" Six edged Ash to get her to tell anything she kept buried under.

But to no avail, Ash kept herself shut, holding anger and cry to not be shown to her superior, all to protect her from telling the truth.

"Okay then… Since you're not telling and I know you won't see that psych anyway. I'm not gonna press you forward with this." Ash remained stoned and her glare was in sour taste.

"And Eliza, remember this….. We're here to save lives in any way possible, even if it means breaking basic human rights or sacrificing others for the greater good. The fifth freedom, while it applies only for US sanctioned personnel in the beginning, is given to us, the world's best special forces, to combat similar threat worldwide. Governments in the whole world agree with our extreme measures and if you feel any regrets with what you do, potentially, bigger lives will be lost." Six speech Ash, knowing the actual essence of her troubled mood.

"And if that means justification for taking or neglecting innocent lives for the greater good, we're no better than what we fight against." Ash finally spit her soured words to her superior, but Six understand.

"Eliza, I'm gonna demote you from the lead and make you as a second-in-command for the lead in all mission. You need this to clear your minds." Ash waved her view down and nod to the demotion.

"Then who'll take my place? Mike? Jordan? Or Senaviev?" she conceded to the demotion and ready to report to the possible appointed leader.

"No actually. I'm gonna put the new personnel to our team as the lead." Ash got caught in the curiosity.

"A new guy? We just got Erik and Evans last week. It's very rare to get new personnel in this time" Ash proceeded with her curiosity.

"Actually two guys and both of them came from the Fourth Echelon, an agency you know as Blacklist Zero." Six filled in Ash with the new recruits.

"I see…." she replied flat.

"You should greet them, they should've made it by now." Six softly urged Ash to handed over her lead position in a morally manner.

"Okay." Ash replied.

"I'll see you later Eliza. And please, don't keep this inside you or it will eat you." A kind advice concerning Ash's condition.

In silent, she left the room and on her way to greet the new recruits. Six, contemplating the the content of the file, can only hope for the best.

Slowly, she traced the hallway along the second floor and went down downstairs where the lobby stands. A few recruits greeted her but replied by a passing by and an empty stare, something people rarely see in her. Approaching the lobby, a commotion could be heard and familiar faces appeared to had beaten her to meet the recruits. The news about the arrivals of these two new recruits weren't something new, it's already announced three days ago but Ash had a bigger concern to heard such news.

In her walk, she sighed and gasped, keeping everything inside her before going in. She nodded her head up, forced a smile, and try to make a genuine warm greeting. She was troubled creating the fake facade, the same as creating her lead facade yesterday. But, Mira saw her and waved her hand, calling Ash to come. She smiled and approached.

Everyone seemed to make it like party. Balloons, confetti, and even cake. Mira, Doc, Lion, Thermite, Valkyrie, Blackbeard, Fuze, Mute, Zofia, Caveira, IQ, Blitz, Jager, Echo, and Kapkan all there, greeting the new recruits. Ash surprised by the crowd, a rare sight for this many people it greet two operators.

"They must be a big deal for these guys." Ash commented.

Mira took her hand and said, "Hey Eliza, come on meet the new guys.". Against the crowd, Mira helped Ash to meet the new recruits. As she saw them, she knew what's the big commotion is about.

"So Eliza, I want you to meet…"

"Keyzer Szabo and… Jack Fisher." Ash knew them from the old days.

"Ahhhhh so you guys already know each other?" Mira asked.

"Yes….. A long time ago." her smiled turned into an honest smirked.

Suddenly, Blackbeard dropped his cake on Mira's shirt and she proceeded by yelling at him. Meanwhile, Ash only stared at both men and stunned.

"What? I got a cooties or something?" Jack snapped her to say something.

"No… I'm just glad you're in the team…. Sir." she held his hand and hugged him a bit in a distant, so no immediate attention came to them.

"Hey hey soldier… enough with the hug." Jack softly said.

"Sorry sir." Ash releases her hugs.

"No hugs for the Hungarian spider?" Keyser wanted to get another hug as well.

"No." She curtly answered.

"So sad…. anyway, you guys must have a lot to catch up and I want to get more of those tasty syrup. So bye." Keyser proceeded to go to the syrup's bowl.

"Oh my God…. You're in the Fourth Echelon? And Fourth Echelon is real?" Ash was in shock.

"Yes for the first question and yes for the second question. You wanted to know more?" He Answered.

"Yes." She's eager to know his answer.

"Well, after my time and Keyser is up in the seal to train the FBI, I was called back to Seal and lead some battles here and there. After two years, I got transferred to the Fourth Echelon. Much to my dislike, I got demoted back to major. But, it's a direct order from the POTUS so nothing I can do and the pay is much much better and I get to use crazy equipments no normal operators will use. And then, me and Keyser under the mandate from POTUS, says that America needed to be more involved in keeping world peace and et cetera and so, here I am." Jack went to a long speech on his time after trained Ash to be the woman she is.

"Anyway, enough about me. How are you doing with others Liz? Still being an annoying snobby person?" Jack wanting to caught up with her updates after their separation.

"I'm….. fine… I'm getting along with everyone and so far, no one called me snobby and stuff." she giggled and so as he.

"Well I guess that training really keep you down to earth huh?" Jack continued.

"A bit…. I don't know actually. I still can't get over with the part where you told me to be patient or keep it cool in missions…. and that just…"

"Well Liz, I don't expect you to suddenly change because you're not exactly a patient person. But it's still nice to see you keep everything cool better in your time here in Rainbow Six, unlike those times during your training." he grinned while pulling out his cuban cigar.

"Hahahaha…. Well, it's nice that you taught me and pushed me to be patient in everything." she smiled and he blew his smoke above.

"You're always the best in class Liz, and I guess that won't change huh? At least from what I heard during your time here." he hint her he knew what she's been doing in Rainbow Six.

"Oh really? And how do you know?" she baited him.

"Well, let's say my little birds kept me up with information and yes, they knew our relationship." Ash realized all the people greeted him and Keyser were his little birds.

"I see… They owe you?" she was curious.

"You can say that." he blew another smoke above.

"Anyway, I reckon you haven't figured out that we'll be in a mission together huh?" Jack continued and Ash was joyful inside and expressed in an intrigue mimic.

"Actually, I don't know. I haven't kept up with the news lately. Hell, I didn't even know that you and Keyser will be the new guys." Ash answered with curiosity.

"Well, I'm just gonna fill you in later. Let's just chill for a while okay?"

"Roger sir." she happily saluted him.

"Easy soldier. We cannot let you went bombastic again." The line which put her in laughter.

Jack left her in the crowd and approached others. Everyone was eager to get to him and Keyser. In the distant, Ash some recruits, confused with the commotion and the big greeting for these two recruits. She smiled, seeing them being blunt to the best soldier in her life and maybe, the world.

Meanwhile, Jack approached Keyser and said, "Hey fella. Easy with the syrup there. Diabetes man... Remember you may have that."

"So? I'm not the one that smoke Cuban cigar three times a week." Keyser replied and Jack giggled.

Suddenly, Zofia hugged Keyser from behind and took a glass of syrup through him. He turned and saw her drinking, flirting with her eyes. And of course, he enjoyed it.

"It's been a long time Zo." he greeted her.

"Yes, it's been a long time. I haven't seen you since that op in Mali." she smiled and cleaned his sleeves. Afterwards, she slapped him hard, but quiet enough without anyone getting any attention.

"And that's for leaving me in my room…. In the top of the morning... In Mali." she turned her expression to annoyance.

Keyser lifted both of his arms, palms up, elbows down a bit, and said, "Well…. I'm sorry?".

She kissed his slapped cheeks and said, "Sure, it's okay. You saved my life and helped me to meet my would-be husband at the time."

"That's interesting. Anyway, how's Jakub? He's doing great? And your sister Elzbieta, she's here right?" Keyser wanted to catch a lot of stuff with her and Jack watched them while finishing his cigar.

"I'm trying to patch things up with her….. I mean after my father died and I got Agata…. I just feel that, 'Hey, time is short, I should get things together with my estranged sister.' Which I tried and went….. miserably….. a bit… at least she talked to me, like, 'Get away Zo.' and, 'Zo, just leave me alone." and also, 'Zo, screw you!'... something like that. And about Jakub? Can we not talk about him please? Or even Ela... How about we talk about you? I haven't heard about you in a long time. I thought you lost your charm when you joined in Fourth Echelon." Zofia smiled and traced her left hand around his sleeve, even though Keyser knew she wanted to close all the hardship on telling her stories.

"Sure, we can talk about me and my spyder and of course, my magical cooking for steaks." he wanted to cheer her up, knowing she needed some smiles from what he heard.

"I would love to….. and maybe we can do it in my room." she whispered while grabbing his chest.

"Guys, you know what, I heard Mark and Shuhrat called me….. bye." Jack didn't want to disturb and proceeded to meet Mute and Fuze.

"Well, I guess we have the time together. Beside, I needed someone to accompany watching some of my Netflix list. Wanna go now?" she flirted him more.

"Maybe after the scene is clear, I'll get to your room after seven." he obliged with her offer.

"Okay….. I'll see you." she left him and went to take a cake to her room.

In the distant, Mute and Fuze shook Jack's hand and Jack greeted them.

"So gents, I believe both of you still up with the offer?" Jack asked.

"Da. I took what I can from my comrades in GRU and Mark did the same with his comrades in GCHQ and SIS. If we wanted to find him under the radar, we needed to find a secret room for us to operate." Fuze answered.

"A man, owner of a pub, which I beat in a poker match before I got here, gave me his keys to his room in downtown Hereford and the address is in here." Jack handed Mute the address in a paper.

"Roger sir. Let's hope no one knows." Mute kept the secret in his wallet.

"Well, I believe we needed to recruit more than us and Keyser, we're not strong enough to fight against them, at least in this numbers." Jack added.

"It's okay sir, we believe in your choice of men or women." Fuze agreed with the condition applies and Mute nodded.

"Alright then, any of you wanted some cigars." he handed them his last two Cuban cigars.

Mute denied the offer, Fuze took it and Jack lighten it up.

"Remember….. like it or not, we'll exercise our fifth freedom in this task." Jack warned the duo.

"Roger." They both replied.

But much to their knowledge, Caveira caught up their chatter and she suddenly left to go the bathroom.

Jack felt someone grabbed his shoulder and turned to saw Ash.

"Hey Liz. What do you want?" Jack asked.

"Hey uhhhh….. I'm gotta go, I got something to do with some recruits in the gym." she answered.

"You're not a kid Liz, there's no need to tell me about this." he puffed a breath out, containing the last smoke from his now burned cigar.

"I know, I just wanted you to know." she continued.

Ash parted her ways and left Jack for the gym.

Suddenly, his phone rang and as he opened it up, a message notification shows on the screen. Written by someone named Solid Fish, he sent, "Jack, good luck in Rainbow Six. We're all gonna miss you."

Jack replied, "Well, miss you guys too….. Just pray that I'll find what the POTUS wanted."

"Will do." the last reply.

Jack locked his phone back and sighed, prepared for his mission in Rainbow Six.


	3. Night of Long Knives

**Night of Long Knives**

"Ash, you have what you need?." A call from the comm.

"Roger." said Ash.

"Central, confirmed the authorization of fifth freedom." she replied back.

"You are authorize…." comms off and Ash glanced at her prize.

"Please…. Let me go… I have kids…." the ailing woman voice whimpered.

"I'm sorry. I do what I need to do." cocking her sidearm, she aimed her head.

BANG!

.

.

.

The calm after the storm….. filling the dark bloody room. She sighed and sat on a cupboard, contemplating his act.

"So, you're done with her?" A man entered through the door, looking at the bloody mess in the middle.

"She gave me what I need." Ash answered curtly under her shaking breath.

"Hey, you do what you need to do." said the manly voice. He held her hand and used his left to wipe the stain off her.

"I know… but is it right?" she asked.

"What I can say is this….. sometimes, we sell ourselves to the dark for others to get the light for free…... In many occasions, we're addicted to it….. the dark…. cold and lustful to those who tame it. It made us… lost sometimes…. and lost….. deep in the reckoning of self-redemption. And I hope, you never even think to go to that path." said the man as he wiped her lips and cheeks.

"I see….. Then how do you stay in the light?" she held his wiping hand, staring him at the eyes.

"I don't…." he dropped the handkerchief and kissed her forehead.

"You did a good job. Now, we'll find the source." he proceeded to untie the dead and drag her out from the room, leaving Ash alone in the dark bloody room.

—- 9 months ago —-

"So Zo… what do you want to watch? The classic western, 2001: A Space Odyssey? Or…. the great eastern adventure feels, Solaris!" Keyser showed her the two movies on his laptop.

"Anything that made us laying down on the bed…. and maybe….. get to know more… after….. undoing our….. clothes." Zofia slipped her top from the left, showing her dark red bra

"How about the casual….. Deadpool then? I know you like lewd jokes." he showed her.

"Deadpool? Let's watch it!" she raised her top and became excited for movie night.

"Okay then." he played it as Zofia laid her head on his right.

After 20 minutes, Keyser asked, "Anyway, how's your day honey? Is it great?"

"I miss that…. when you call me that….." she whispered, focused at watching the movie."

"I know…. I know you like to stash a chocolate on top of your locker, because you hate it when people steal it." said Keyser as he bit a chocolate bar.

"Well, I know you hide your japanese comics in the cloths of your army bag." she smiled while taking a bite as well.

"Oh really? I know you hid your condoms inside your pillow. In case of 'things' and 'stuff' and you don't want to get pregnant." he gave her the big one.

She turned her face and said, "Not anymore when you kept showing up in my barracks….." and gave him the blush.

"Well, maybe I should come seeing you often after this." he teased and she love it.

"Hey, that would be nice." she paused the movie and held his cheek.

A moment of pause as they stare each other, where Keyser continued, "Just like the old days huh."

"It is." she pecked his lips.

"Well Madame Bosak, I believe we only have 45 minutes before your old man come back home. Shall we do a quickie madame?" Keyser lifted his shirt up, showing her series of scars from the old days.

She rubbed his marks and said, "Dad surely did his job on you. I forgot how hard can he be."

"Well, he made me what I'm now today although he will definitely hate me." he reminisced.

"Yeah… he's a bit disappointed when you ran away to America. And I'm actually devastated…" she contemplated on how he received his scars.

"A bit? So he's still a bit happy I ran away huh?" he smug.

"What I remember is everyone was making bad remarks on him in the first few weeks because he trained a traitor and kept himself silent until he finally just tell you're a traitor who let him down and ungrateful brat and you would die if he found you. Also,he told me and Ela to never meet or talk or having any contact with you should you suddenly reach us." she answered straightforward with the details.

"Okay… why is that make it a bit instead of a whole?" he was curious.

"Because, regardless of what he said to his friends and to me and Ela, he always sat in his office, drinking his vodka, and held a picture of you and him while staring at you from minutes to hours while singing that hungarian song you sang when we play together." a few tears dropped to the bed.

"Hey….. I'm sorry… that I left you in Poland. But I have to do it and you know why." he wiped her tears.

"I know… and I'm devastated when you leave and I always hate you for it. Until….. I met you in Mali." she held the tears but crying.

"Well, I guess saving your would-be-husband save me the grace from getting stab by your knife." he wanted to cheer her.

"Hahahaha no. But I'm really grateful you save him….. before the bitch fuck Ela in my back!" Zofia was in discontent.

"Yeah… I heard about that. I'm sorry things didn't work out." his cheering drive drove the talk to another cliff.

"It's okay. It's just….. I don't actually blame Ela… because our love was made under a drunk-love situation. So, I don't think things through when I married him, like how we grow up together, raising the kids, and things alike. Beside, he's not that great in bed or romantic as a person or even said good morning to me in any day. It's a bit sour from the start….. although I'm disappointed that Ela was the one to end it." she mushed her heart out, getting out the things she kept inside.

"That's a weird way to defend your sister." he remarked, knowing she would be fine with it.

"Yeahhhh I don't know. Maybe I'm just being too protective towards her, even protecting her from myself. I hope I can patch things up with her." Zofia expressed.

"You will… when she grow up and able to tell difference between childish and total imbecile." he coughed a laugh.

"Hahahaha I guess you're right." she let out a laugh and Keyser was happy to see the happiness.

"Keyser….. stay with me tonight. I want you." she held her hands and pulled him towards her.

"I will. It's been a long time zo." he undress her slowly.

"It's been forever." She kissed him dearly and began sliding down his pants. The night was long for them as they made love after forever.

"I wish I can join the fun." said Ela on her passing whim, hearing the love-making behind the door.

Meanwhile Ash was sitting on the cafeteria, having a coffee alone…. for a while.

"So….. I guess being alone is your new hobby?" her favorite russian calling her out.

"It's better than having good paintings, kept in your cold room where no one can admire it." she smirked and tease.

"You know that Eliza. You know that I paint for solace, not money." he sat in front of her.

"Well, I do know for a fact you're not being up late to find inspiration. So what are you doing Tim?" Ash asked.

"I'm keeping an eye to Ryad. Doc sure he'll be up and hallucinating here again. The last time we check, he was smearing nachos cheese on his stomach while rambling about being an el matador." said Glaz and showed her Doc's med pistol but armed with tranquilizer. Ash laughed imagining the situation.

"Well, enough about what I'm doing here. Why are you here team leader? I'm sure it's not to keep you up late, considering it's still half full and cold." she looked down and saw the truth.

"It's a long story Glaz." she replied curtly.

"While I'm in for long stories, it seems you wanted to keep this in. But, if you wanted to tell, it's all good comrade." said Glaz as he lighted his smoke.

"Hey…. You shouldn't smoke here." she whispered under her self decadence.

"Well, don't tell anyone about it." he proceeded to blow towards the air.

"Tim, can I ask you?" Ash asked.

"Anything you want comrade. I'm all ears." he put his smoke down on the table.

"If you lost, where would you go?" Ash asked.

"That depends. What are you looking for?" Glaz replies back with question.

"Honestly, I don't know." she answered, sipping her coffee.

"Maybe, if you see the bigger picture, you will know." Glaz advised her.

"I'm trying to and I don't understand. I still don't know what I'm looking for." Ash let her understanding out.

"Now, I don't want to patronize you but I know you, and I know you don't know what I'm talking about." Glaz gave her the negativity she may need as a wake up call.

"Tim, what do you mean?" she was offended but understand what he meant.

"Try to cut down your semantic and simplistic view of all situations which needed a higher degree of consideration because I know you prefer quick, direct and aggressive act and rarely reserve for a slow, conformal and assessed action. If you can change the latter, at least balance it, then you will know the way under the night." Glaz answered her with convoluted, confusing statement.

"I don't get it." she curtly replied.

"You will if you understand it." he smiled.

"Anyway, I will leave you be, I need to check the 2nd floor hallway, in case Ryad hallucinated there. I will see you later." Glaz got up and leave Ash under the lighten table, contemplating the advice of the melancholic painter.

Ash raised her glass and finished up her coffee, where she proceeded to return to her home, reasoning the things her friend told her.

Glaz went up to the roof where two men laid on the side, smoking and joking.

"Ahhhh monsieur Timur, what do owe to your presence?" Lion gave Glaz a smoke and lighten it up for him.

"Well, I wanted to talk about Eliza, I have some worries to our team leader." said Glaz and made the other man turned his attention to him.

"So you talk to her huh? What do you think?" Fisher asked.

"She's trying to hold herself but she's fine. She's doing good considering what happened to her for the past few months." Glaz answered.

"It's good I get assign her on the right time huh?" Fisher remarked

"Timur, I want you to keep an eye more for her. Do you mind?" Fisher asked.

"It's okay comrade. I can do it. I owe you one anyway." Glaz blew his smoke out.

"Thank you Timur. Anyway, Olivier, you're ready take on the task from POTUS?" Ask Fisher for approval.

"Oui… although I'm doing this because of you and my own worries, not POTUS." Lion answered.

"Fair enough. And you, Timur? Are you interested? Shuhrat is in. It's nice to have you in the team." Fisher offered the Russian.

"Da comrade. I will follow you to the end." Glaz approved and Fisher gave him a Cuban cigar.

"But, I want to ask, what do we have to look for?" Glaz asked.

"Well, it's fair for both of you to know since both of you sign in to follow me in this mission. The mission is classified and highly sensitive, it concerns Rainbow Six from its personnel all the way to the top. The POTUS believe team rainbow is infiltrated by non-state actor whose motive is still unknown as we speak. Also, we may have to betray some of our friends. If we get close, all hell break loose and we may be targets for everyone until we fully completed the mission. And as an advice, we need to stay low and keeping ourselves low profile as possible. And I need all the ears I trust to help me in this. So gentlemen, still interested?" Fisher explained the details of the mission.

After hearing it, both men agreed nonetheless and agree to the consequence it may bring to them.

"And one more thing, Glaz, when you keep an eye to Ash, I want you to be close and tapped her when possible. They will go after her." Fisher added.

"Da comrade. She's know my focus." Glaz replied.

The three men then relaxed and enjoyed the night sky, before rambling things up to its core.


	4. Black Up, White Down

**Black Up, White Down**

Ash, sitting on the desk, sipping her coffee, through the night, thinking whether saving millions worth the price of thousands. Her surly look echoed the necessity for a purpose. Yawned, the monochromic white hue accompanied her, waiting for her wish.

"Eliza, you're done with your coffee?" a man came to her and sat in front.

"Yeah… let's just get into it." she yawned and tasted her lips before looking at the man.

"Did you sleep? It's been two days since you slept." the man worried with her condition, noticing the big blackish sack under her eyelids.

"I'm good….. beside, we have someone to find. He doesn't have time." she resisted the urge and tried to shut the worries.

"Look, you need a sleep. I won't fill you in until you sleep." the man firmly said.

"But, you can take this on your way to the bed." he handed her the dossier file of the women she killed a few hours ago.

"You read that, and tell me what you learn and I'll fill you in." he ordered.

"Fine…." she's being curt with the order and got up to proceed to her bed.

"Make sure you're fully awake and don't lie to me because I can tell. " the man heed her.

"Roger…..." she was annoyed.

"Also, Eliza….. He trusted you. Don't let him down again." the man continued.

"I won't." She firmly replied

She walked to her quarters, through the claustrophobic hallway. White lights kept the hallway with its greyish original, a direct hug for the lonely and broken self. She held the dossier file, staring at the case which showed the picture of the women she tortured and killed.

"Grace Li Tsu." she echoed the name of her kill while contemplating at her face, its familiarity with her acquaintances, an acknowledgment to the identity and relationship with the deceased.

"Should have stayed out of my way." she commented.

Against her draught for rest, she opened the dossier and read the first page, a clarity with the recent past. The quick skim reading of the first pages shed her more knowledge to the person she thought she knew.

Former officer of PLA, a supposed whistleblower in an asylum in UK, entering armed service as SBS, and after yesterday, was an active agent of MSS. The quick profiling from the team psychologist showed a sign of fake response and possible hidden motives when entering R6. The hard truth Ash must bear was the fact, she didn't know the hidden motive while she should've known and it had taken one of her men as consequence.

Inside her room, the bleak greyish walls and floors with a neon light above and a table with a chair across her. Papers, M4, and her reliable colt laid there with bullets and empty mags. Approaching the table, she threw it aside as she undress her outfit of the night. After putting the last fitting on the door with her cap, her sports bra and underwear would kept her warm under the rough linen sheet but soft pillow sufficed for her rest. Snuggling in the bed, she adjusted herself facing up, watching the grey ceiling.

Night-dreaming… if such word exist, it would describe her mind before sleeping. Regrets kept her company as she hoped a reckoning would paid her due for her mistakes for the last year. Her regrets may never fade behind her wanted facade but atonement….. she wanted to be liberated, free and back, in her way to the light against the dark, in a reformed better view, unlike her semantic past.

The sleep deprived her mind carefully before she ready to shut her eyes. But not to her avail, a sudden entrance kept her up.

"Taina, what are you doing?" Ash asked.

"Just checking you in. I know you never torture someone like that before." Caveira sat beside her, checking Ash's injured knuckles.

"I'm fine. I just need a sleep right now." Her drowsy speech hinted her fatigue.

"I understand, I just want to make sure…" Caveira held Ash's face, cruising her hands around her countenance.

"Make sure what?" Ash suddenly awake by the touch sensation.

"And what are you wearing?" Ash, with her awakened state, noticed Caveira's manly T-shirts, noticed some of the buttons where purposely opened, showing her body with nothing sheath it behind the shirt.

"My comfiest clothes of course, something you love to see." Caveira became aggressive, raising herself to the bed, sitting on Ash with a boxer only.

"Taina… I'm sorry, but I'm not interested." Ash declined the offer she would in advance.

"But Captain, don't you want me? Own me like you love to do in missions. I know you love it when someone adore your leading. So captain, lead me!" Caveira's aggression urged Ash to fight, but Caveira's stronger state put her helpless and Caveira started drag her fingers from her stomach all the way to her chest, pressing it softly until Ash moan.

"You like it don't you….. Captain?" Caveira undo her shirt, revealing her barren body.

However, to her dislike, Ash got her remaining energy and shun her by, "Taina….. I don't like this."

But, much to her dismay, Caveira only replied, "Well well well, apparently you like being weak. So I'm gonna make you scream and begged."

Caveira started to kissed her lips, holding it tight with a deep french kiss. Ash tried to let go but got held too. The kiss deepened and she pushed herself to the bed, playing with Ash's body and began dressing her naked for the occasion. Ash squirmed and resisted even though she felt the sensation which she wanted more. Ash felt her tongue being chased by Caveira and the warm from Caveira's body was sensible on her bottom and chest.

Caveira, thought Ash subdued to her will, let go Ash's hands and hugged her all the way to the back. Her kissed shifted towards Ash's cheeks, down through her necks and on the way to her chest. Ash moaned and had a sense of fulfillment for her sexuality.

However, Caveira made a mistake by letting her go. Ash, while enjoyed the sensation, still found the complication with the interest of her morale to evade this encounter. Hence, Ash resisted and finally, break Caveira away from the sexual encounter.

"Taina….. leave…. please." Ash implored and covered herself with the blanket.

"Fine….." Disappointed, Caveira angered by the rejection and slammed the door as she left the room.

Ash sighed….. felt assaulted and aroused, but relieved for the end. Her relation with Caveira was rarely in good terms and losing it in this time of the would cause a serious setback in her mission. Ash needed her more than her needed Ash. Although the encounter was rough, she surprised Caveira didn't rough her up even more after the rejection, considering her state of mind. Ash checked herself where the tight grip reddened in her wrist and some lovemarks through her necks and chest.

Even though the encounter surprised her in her weak state, she was ready to let it be bygone, considering Caveira and the situation around them. Beside, it's not the first for this to happen with her, knowing the deep intimate Caveira had with her, at least on Caveira's mind. After contemplating the encounter and relieved the rushing adrenaline, she moved herself to tidy up. Wearing her bra and panties back, she was finally ready for a good night sleep. She laid her head back to her pillow, closed her eyes, and fell to her dream. By the morning, she would be ready for what to come.

A ray of light beamed through her eyelids. Quickly she was back to her consciousness, after back from a dreamless sleep. Opening her eyes, simplistic creamed ceiling was back becoming bearable for her mind, a rare sense of relief, considering she disliked the bright color when she move in the first time. Looking down, her white pajamas slated for another laundry with the big chocolate stain on the upper and lower clothings. And in her apparent vision, the bed sheets and blanket would join the pajamas as well, as she was slept with the ice cream box opened, smearing it on her bed.

"Damn….." she commented, bearing a work for her morning.

While she love to squirmed and laid on her bed until noon or a call, she dislike the dirt soiled her bed and her pajamas. So, she urged herself up, dumped the box to a trash can, and stretched for a few minutes to start her morning. Afterwards, she stripped naked and took the cover and sheets of her bed where she proceeded to throw everything on the laundry basket.

A visit to the bathroom allures her to the mirror, where her face and hair looked distressed and disorganized. A warm shower would pull her back to her fit state, but the high morning kept her at bay after a night of staying up with caffeine. So, she resorted to a quick wash of her face, a comb on her reddish hair, and a quick look of herself at the mirror, saying, "You got this Cohen…. you got this."

Taking a stroll to her desk, she wore her T-shirt, buttoned it up to her neck but leaving two buttons up, and a training pants before taking her laundry to the laundry room outside. A glanced on her phone showed 07.23, a time too soon for her to wake up at the time. But nonetheless, she had no intent to sleep without sheets and she's not in the mood to put the spare on in the morning, so a continuing her laundry was the only thing she thought. Taking her phone, she proceeded to took the basket and towards the laundry room, but realized the dropped earphones below her. Realizing it's the earphones she borrowed from Zofia, she took it with her, in case she passed her by and considering she was late a month to return it.

And out of her room she went, the sleepy Ash strolled through the empty hallway, yawning and empty like a doll. Fighting against the yawn was easy when hardship she bear for the past weeks became a bigger concern than rest. Glancing over the passing doors, she knew the room which had the occupants still sleeping and the ones where the occupants were awake and left their quarters. A few steps away from the laundry room and there, Zofia's room. Thinking it's the time she remembered to return the earphones, she wasted no time dropping her laundry knocking the door.

No answer…. but she could heard ruckus inside. So she knocked a few times and no answer from behind. Growing impatient, she warned Zofia she'll enter and barged in the room, knowing the door would be unlocked. But, to her surprise, she should had been patient with waiting.

"OH MY GOD ELIZA!" Zofia screamed, surprised by the barged in. To her comfort, her sitting on Keyser's lap, after a lustful kiss, naked and Keyser's hands on her chest.

The surprised couple dropped to the bed and cover themselves with blanket and Ash went red, with the view she would not unseen for a long time. The couple reddened as well, with Zofia being the most embarrassed by the circumstances while Keyser quickly embraced it. Ash took a deep breath and cope herself with the situation.

"Wow! I never thought you'll move on this quick Zo." Ash smirked, looking at the new love of her friend,

"Shut up Cohen!" Zofia embarrassingly replied.

"Hey, it's okay if she knows. As long as she won't tell others." Keyser wrapped his left arm around Zofia and kissed her cheeks.

"Ohhh shut it!" she playfully replied and kissed his lips back.

"Anyway, what are you doing here? Disturbing my private time." Zofia was annoyed but wanted to get straight to the point.

"I just wanted to return this." Ash threw the earphones on the bed.

"Well is that it? I got something to let go here?" Keyser joined in.

"Yeah yeah that's it. Sorry to disturb you guys and welcome to the team Keyser. Hope you like it here." Ash fastened her speech while turning around and ran away from the door, closing the door behind.

The couple looked at the fading surprise and now left once again together.

"Well, that's a bummer." Keyser commented.

"No kidding….." Zofia reddened looks went away but her heart paced quicker than before.

"Zo, calm down, you'll get a heart attack." Keyser felt the pulse on her wrist.

Noticing little Keyser still up, Zofia teased him and said, "You know honey, your stick can relieved my pumping heart. And maybe, your hug and your lips as well."

"Well, I'm still up. So continue?" Keyser checked down below and asked for approval.

A reply was given in form of another episode of lustful kiss, this time tighter and softer than before and they held each other together for a morning coffee.

"We should lock the door." Zofia broke the kiss.

"I don't care." Keyser took it back and they back at love making, putting Zofia's care back only to him.

In the laundry room, Ash threw all in the basket in and waiting for the machine to rinse her dirt. She laid on the side and smirked, thinking about Zofia finally moved on from her ex-husband and the apparent fondness with the newcomer. She may not know Keyser well but if he did her right, she was more than happy to someone to helped her colleague from stress. The surprise which imprinted in her brain became a slight of joy in her sad and stressed months.

"What are you smiling about?" a surprised question shook her.

"Nothing Jordan." Ash answered.

"Hey, it's good for you to smile. I haven't seen that smile in a long time. Beside, a smile in the morning is always a good sign and a blessing for the whole day." said Thermite as he put her laundry in another machine.

"Really? Who said that?" Ash playfully asked.

"Obviously the charm you're talking to." he punched her softly on the arm.

"Haha nice one wisecracker." Ash sarcastically laughed and punched him back.

"So, what are you doing in this early sunday morning? I thought you hate waking up early after missions." Thermite calmly asked.

"Just cleaning some laundry. Spilled an ice cream on it." she replied with a smile.

"Ice cream huh? I never thought you'll become one of this sassy fatty who eat ice cream every time she's sad." Thermite left a laughed in the end.

"As long as I'm keeping myself fit, I don't think milk will make me fat." Ash replied.

"I like the positivity here. I guess you'll be eager meeting the new recruits at the field. Your bf, Fisher, was there and taught everyone some stealth stuffs." Thermite filled her with the morning activities at the training field.

"He's not bf Jordan. He was my trainer and mentor when I was trained in SWAT in the first year of my exchange." Ash reaffirmed her stance with him.

"Ho ho ho. I never thought you could have sex with your trainer to get an approved mark." Thermite sarcastically relayed his thought.

"Nahhhhh. Isn't that you that jerk off captain Holstein so you can get assign in the research lab?" Ash replied with a joke.

"Hush hush Eliza. We don't want to scare the ladies." Thermite laughed afterwards.

"Anyway, you should go down now to the field. Fisher probably give a hard training to the recruits right now and he's also looking for you." Thermite advised.

"Sure. And what about my laundry." Ash replied curtly.

"Don't worry, I'll put it at your door after I'm done." Thermite assured.

"Okay then. Thank you Jordan." Ash left the room to hers.

"And wear some under clothing. I can see your boobs through the shirt." Thermite being lewd a bit.

"Sure." Ash replied in the distance, flustered with shame.

Ash made it back to her room, ready for a shower and a change to a dandy looks for the recruits as she needed to put an example to the recruits. Yawning, a thought to sleep came, but quickly shoved it away for the sake of her former mentor. The thought of her mentor resorted her mind back to the past.

Thinking back about her days with him made her smile. A mentor, colleague, and best friend, Fisher was her guardian, a hand leaning to take her away to the top, the first man who she felt with, within the sphere of romance, even though he rejected her in the end. Nonetheless, she owed him her life now towards him and he never shoved her for any sake.

However, she was driven back to that one mission, a change of their relation, marked by the scars and sins they committed through that mission. The time of reminiscing distressed as she thought about it more. She sat, closing her eyes and undressed her shirt where she held a small thin stretch, a bit of a gap like canyon which marked its spot under her diaphragm and a long one, coming from from her left breast and ended on her stomach. The sound of a swinging steel made her gasped and gasped continuously where she would hear her own breath and calmed. Relieving herself back to her once forgotten memories urged her more to meet him.

For her preparation, she stripped once more, throwing her clothing on the bed. As she charged her phone, a letter was placed on her table, written in cursive with her name on it. Curious, she sat, unfolded the paper, and greeted by more cursive writings.

"To my dearest Eliza Cohen, I want to relay my greatest respect for you as the team leader and I'm sorry to hear your demotion. To cheer you up, please come to my birthday party at Jonessy's pub tomorrow. If you wanted a laugh or drown your sorrow or both under a beer or cider with your compatriots, come and join me! It's not everyday you get free beers lassie! Cheers." Ash read the letter and its sender, Thatcher.

"Well, I'm ready to get drunk right now." Ash describes her mood.

Keeping the letters for its beautiful cursive writings and also reminder, it somewhat made her day with the lovely writing and an invitation, a rare occasion she received, a celebrated birthday party for adults. She thought to take Fisher with her, wanting to rekindle their old times together and introduced him with everyone, even though it would be more about her doing in the team. And also, relieving back to the first time they met yesterday, after years. Radiants of positivity, infecting her when she was close with him, similar with the feel on her training. As such, she embraced him more than Thermite, than anyone. A mentor, colleague, friend, and former lover, the perfect man she had in her live.


End file.
